The present application relates to electronic mail (email) systems and methods and more particularly to providing specific functionality relative to utilizing email with multifunction machines.
Conventional multifunction machines allow a user to perform a plurality of tasks with the use of a single component. Such multifunction machines can provide copying, scanning, faxing, printing, emailing and the like. In this manner, the user is able to duplicate documents, digitize documents, transmit documents to one or more users electronically, etc. In order to accomplish such a plurality of tasks, the user is often confronted with an interface that is not intuitive and therefore difficult to navigate.
The problem is exacerbated when a user interface contains little or no information relative to the task at hand. For example, typical user interfaces are 2-line LCD displays that contain a menu that a user must scroll in order to select an appropriate command. In such cases, one or more desired functions can be difficult to locate much less select for use. In other cases, the user interface (e.g., touch screen, etc.) presents the user with an overload of options such that determining the appropriate task selection can be difficult.
Conventional email applications often require users to authenticate themselves to provide access to functions and provide a level of individual identity security through the use of user IDs and passwords. Email functionality is often difficult to access and utilize. In conventional multifunction machines, the user may be forced to enter (via keystroke) an entire destination email address every time a scanned document is desired to be sent. In other instances, the user may have to specify the senders email as well as the destination address before a document can be emailed. Conventional multifunction machines do not provide convenient and intuitive functionality to utilize email features associated therewith.
The present exemplary embodiments contemplate an improved apparatus and method that overcomes the aforementioned limitations and others.